1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to illuminated flying discs of the type that are thrown and caught by people as a recreational activity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are various ways known in the art of flying discs for adding the feature of illumination. Perhaps the most common type of illuminated flying disc is formed of a phosphorescent material so that the disc will "glow" in dimly lighted environments. Another type of illumination is based on chemical materials carried in pods or housings added to the basic disc. A third type carries electronic light sources such as light-emitting diodes (LED's). The invention is directed to overcoming the technical problems associated with this third type of illuminated flying disc.
A typical flying disc, of the type being commercially offered, resembles an overturned dish. An upper deck of the disc includes a flat, central portion which extends radially outward to a downwardly turned leading edge. This leading edge gives the disc the profile of a wing and also forms a transition surface between the flat portion of the upper deck and a depending rim that is provided for gripping during throwing and catching actions.
Several different approaches have been taken to locating discrete light sources on such discs. Often these have been located in housings or pods attached either to the topside or the underside of the deck and usually located centrally to maintain the balance of the disc for flight. When LED's are used these are typically mounted in the depending rim so as to be visible at points radially outward of the disc. In other discs, the LED's are easily visible from the top or bottom, but special windows or other means must be provided to transmit light in the radial direction. The known prior art does not provide a construction in which the discrete light sources are located in an exposed position to be seen from all vantage points, i.e. from above, below or radially outward of the disc. Since the disc can fly through the air at various elevations relative to the thrower and catcher, it would be advantageous to provide a disc with light sources that are visible from as many directions as possible. It would also be advantageous to eliminate extra pods or housings for the light sources.
With a prior construction in which the light sources are located in the rim, there is a further problem that any exposure or projection of the light sources will interfere with gripping the disc. When the disc is caught, the electrical connections to the LED's may be damaged or still worse, there may be a minor injury to the hand of the catcher. Another problem in this prior construction is the employment of wires which are encased in a melted plastic material leading up to the connections to the discrete light sources. Although the wires were not exposed, they become brittle and subject to breakage.
There are already well-established manufacturers of the basic flying disc and the number of discs that have already been sold is probably in the millions. Since many disc owners would not want to invest in a complete new disc merely to obtain a lighting feature, there is a need for a less expensive alternative. Although lighting kits are suggested in the art, none are known which overcome the disadvantages of the prior lighted discs that are discussed above.